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Literature

Literature graduates earn $46,173 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $26,191 and $63,857. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.

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About Literature

This page covers Literature as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of English and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.

Literature is a focused area of study within English. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $46,173 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 118 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 774 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.

Median Earnings · 1yr: $23,868
Median Earnings · 4yr: $46,173
Colleges Offering: 118
Graduates / Year: 774
Avg Net Price / yr: $25,470

How Much Do Literature Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Literature, a typical graduate earns $46,173, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $26,191 and $63,857, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $23,868 at one year out to $46,173 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$23,868

1 Year After Graduation

Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.

$46,173

4-Year National Median

Below average for bachelor's degree holders.

$45,749

4-Year Institutional Median

Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.

Earnings Range

Not every Literature graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.

$26,191 25th pct.

$46,173 Median

$63,857 75th pct.

Is the Cost Worth It?

At median 4-year earnings of $46,173 and an estimated $101,880 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 6.3 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.

Based on outcomes from 79 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 774 students who complete Literature programs each year, the majority (68%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

68%

Bachelor's 68%

Master's 19%

Associate's 9%

What Can You Do With a Literature Degree?

This degree does not lock you into one job. Literature graduates show up in 3 different occupations, and English Language and Literature Teachers pay the most at $78,760/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.

The best-paid of these is what English Language and Literature Teachers earn and how fast those roles are growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.

↗ +0.0% Zone 5: Extensive preparation

English Language and Literature Teachers

$78,760

$61K $103K 25th–75th pct.

Doctoral or professional degree 4,500 openings/yr 58K employed nationally

Reading Comprehension Instructing Writing Speaking Learning Strategies

Day-to-day responsibilities

Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Teach writing or communication classes.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.

↘ -1.1% Zone 4: Considerable preparation

Editor

$77,920

$57K $106K 25th–75th pct.

Bachelor's degree 7,900 openings/yr 92K employed nationally

Reading Comprehension Writing Active Listening Critical Thinking Speaking

Day-to-day responsibilities

Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.

Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.

↘ -0.3% Zone 4: Considerable preparation

Writer & Author

$76,910

$58K $102K 25th–75th pct.

Bachelor's degree 11,900 openings/yr 48K employed nationally

Writing Writing Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Active Listening

Day-to-day responsibilities

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.

Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
Present drafts and ideas to clients.

Top Colleges for Literature

Not sure where to study Literature? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at New York University, and the rest follow the same measures.

#	College	Graduates	Acceptance	Net Price/yr	Earnings 10yr
1	New York University New York, NY · Nonprofit	123	9.2%	$37,050	$82,509
2	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA · Public	39	58.1%	$30,434	$66,125
3	The University of the South Sewanee, TN · Nonprofit	38	56.9%	$27,872	$64,911
4	Pace University New York, NY · Nonprofit	35	75.9%	$30,892	$70,378
5	Bennington College Bennington, VT · Nonprofit	31	44.5%	$30,947	$38,289
6	The New School New York, NY · Nonprofit	30	63.5%	$58,741	$52,901
7	George Mason University Fairfax, VA · Public	26	87.5%	$17,915	$76,343
8	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public	22	9%	$12,548	$82,511
9	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ · Public	22	89.6%	$14,158	$54,384
10	Connecticut State Community College New Britain, CT · Public	20	Open	$11,513	$41,344
11	American University Washington, DC · Nonprofit	20	62%	$41,943	$77,370
12	Hamilton College Clinton, NY · Nonprofit	19	13.6%	$28,985	$78,411
13	Boise State University Boise, ID · Public	16	87.2%	$21,610	$51,658
14	Harvard University Cambridge, MA · Nonprofit	14	3.7%	$19,066	$101,817
15	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH · Public	11	75.4%	$28,384	$55,076
16	Duke University Durham, NC · Nonprofit	11	5.7%	$29,612	$97,800
17	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY · Public	10	53.8%	$2,984	$63,163
18	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI · Public	10	79.6%	$15,407	$51,793
19	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	9	85.3%	$25,648	$54,810
20	Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA · Nonprofit	8	93.1%	$23,696	$52,927

View all colleges

Ranked by Literature graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Literature program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

College ROI Calculator

See if a Literature degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.

College Cost Calculator

Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.

Compare Colleges

Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.

College Match Quiz

Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.

Literature Degree: Pros & Cons

Literature carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 2 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.

PROS

Strong salary growth Median earnings climb from $23,868 at graduation to $46,173 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Strong hiring volume Related occupations generate more than 24,300 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.

CONS

Modest median earnings Four-year median of $46,173 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expected Top roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas 2 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
Long earnings breakeven At median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 6.3 years.

Literature Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Literature graduates earn?

$46,173 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $26,191 and $63,857, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the starting salary for a Literature degree?

$23,868 in the first year out. That grows to $46,173 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.

What jobs can you get with a Literature degree?

English Language and Literature Teachers are one path, and it pays a median of $78,760 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.

How long does a Literature program take?

Four years of full-time study for a Literature bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.

How many colleges offer Literature?

118 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.

Is a Literature degree worth it?

$46,173 median earnings four years out against $25,470 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the difference between Literature and English?

Literature is the narrower of the two: English covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Literature-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.

What skills do employers look for in Literature graduates?

Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Literature graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.

What is the job outlook for Literature graduates?

Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average -0.5% projected job growth over the next 10 years. English Language and Literature Teachers are among the strongest-growth roles at +0.0%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.